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Mission: San Jose.
The Thanksgiving 2006 was an oportunity to visit the missions at San Antonio Texas. Finally I had the opportunity to join with thousands of people and have a great thanksgiving vacations visiting great places. This is the first of five missions that I visited: The San Jose Mission. (11/27/2006)
Source: http://www.josepino.com/?mission_san_jose1 Tags: trips
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After mi ex-wife decided to give me some freedom, finally I had the oportunity to travel and visit great places like the Stone Mountain at Georgia, Atlanta y finally: San Antonio Texas. Texas is a place with lots of historical sites to visit. The city with the most importance of Texas, in my opinion, is San Antonio, where the battle at the Alamo was the key to become what Texas is today.
on the last thanksgiving vacation, I decided to visit San Antonio during that long weekend. Here is my visit to one of five San Antonio Mission: San Jose Mission.
Taken from http://www.josepino.com
The five missions are linked with a road known as "The Road Mission". This road carried information, supplies and trade goods as well warnings of attacks or dangers at that time. The first mission stablished was The Alamo (1718), the second one was San Jose (1720). San Juan, Concepcion and Espada were stablished at 1731.
This is the entrance of the mission. The goal of the missions was to teach local Indians to lie and worship as Spaniards and, untimately, to exist independently of the mission. Something like: "We came to teach you and help you regardless you don't need our help neither our teachings".
The San Jose Mission had a Granary, an "acequia" to deliver water to the surrounding fields, a church (of course) and convento; that was the center of the life at the missions.
The surrounding fields at the mission were called "Labores", those sustained a thriving community of indians an Spaniards. Within the walls the indians lived, worshipped, and attenden classes. The were teached to blacksmith, to weave on European looms, to cut stone and to make shoes and cotton clothes. Outside the walls, the mission Indians Tended fields, orchards and livestock.
This is a panoramic view, a 110 grades angle view. The photo was taken at the corner of the main entrance. The left side shows the main entrance. The right side shows the small rooms where some of the indians lived.
Inside of one of those small rooms called "Indian Quarters". In the early years, mission Indians liven in small detached houses called "Jacales". In 1755, eighty-four of these "jacales" lined "streets" in what is today "The Plaza", but after 1768, as conflicts with Apaches and Comanches increased, the mission was enclosed. Indians began to live in these rooms along the walls.
The kitchen, inside the quarter. The photo also shows some of the "kitchen utelsils" used at that time. [It reminders me the Mayan culture]. Some food was made outside on stone ovens.
Dang! this guys had electricity too!
This is one of many ovens located just outside of the Quarters (should be "Cuartos"). Mission Indians received rations of food and other necessities but they were responsible for preparing meals and perform househould duties by themselves.
An interesting photo of the "quarters"
This is one of the corners of the main walls. Here are some holes on the thick walls to defend the mission. The small holes at the top were used for guns, the big holes were used for cannons.
I was interested to see how is the view thru one of those holes. I can see a little girl was interested too at the other side.
The "mesquite" tree, a common tree on Texas. I had the temptation to climb one of those trees, but I was told not to.
This is the remains of the blacksmith. Gone long time ago.
This is the entrance located at the East side. The main entrance is located at the south side.
The Convento. It provided housing for missionaries and lay assistants. In 1785 the convento had nine rooms downstairs and five upstairs, covered by a flat roof.
This is a panoramic view (180 degrees) of the East entrance, the convento and the church.
[I love mi Nikon Camera! It takes great photos.]
The Church
Some details of the building. Simply Beautiful.
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